FI20205878A1 - A system and a method for managing dental instruments - Google Patents
A system and a method for managing dental instruments Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- FI20205878A1 FI20205878A1 FI20205878A FI20205878A FI20205878A1 FI 20205878 A1 FI20205878 A1 FI 20205878A1 FI 20205878 A FI20205878 A FI 20205878A FI 20205878 A FI20205878 A FI 20205878A FI 20205878 A1 FI20205878 A1 FI 20205878A1
- Authority
- FI
- Finland
- Prior art keywords
- instrument
- dental
- dental instruments
- data
- instruments
- Prior art date
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 61
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 96
- 230000001225 therapeutic effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 claims description 67
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 claims description 60
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 claims description 44
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 claims description 20
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 claims description 18
- 230000001954 sterilising effect Effects 0.000 claims description 17
- 238000004590 computer program Methods 0.000 claims description 15
- 238000005406 washing Methods 0.000 claims description 15
- 238000004659 sterilization and disinfection Methods 0.000 claims description 12
- 238000013475 authorization Methods 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000003086 colorant Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000002265 prevention Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000008439 repair process Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000012544 monitoring process Methods 0.000 abstract description 3
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000007726 management method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000013474 audit trail Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000036541 health Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000006855 networking Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
- A61C19/00—Dental auxiliary appliances
- A61C19/02—Protective casings, e.g. boxes for instruments; Bags
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
- G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q10/087—Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q10/0875—Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G16—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS
- G16H—HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- G16H40/00—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices
- G16H40/20—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G16—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS
- G16H—HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- G16H40/00—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices
- G16H40/40—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G16—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS
- G16H—HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- G16H70/00—ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references
- G16H70/20—ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references relating to practices or guidelines
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B34/00—Computer-aided surgery; Manipulators or robots specially adapted for use in surgery
- A61B34/25—User interfaces for surgical systems
- A61B2034/256—User interfaces for surgical systems having a database of accessory information, e.g. including context sensitive help or scientific articles
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
- A61B90/90—Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
- A61B90/90—Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
- A61B90/98—Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
- A61C2204/00—Features not otherwise provided for
- A61C2204/005—Features not otherwise provided for using chip tag or any electronic identification mean, e.g. RFID
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Epidemiology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Primary Health Care (AREA)
- Medical Informatics (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Economics (AREA)
- Bioethics (AREA)
- Development Economics (AREA)
- Human Resources & Organizations (AREA)
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
- Finance (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
- Dentistry (AREA)
- Marketing (AREA)
- Operations Research (AREA)
- Quality & Reliability (AREA)
- Strategic Management (AREA)
- Tourism & Hospitality (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Dental Tools And Instruments Or Auxiliary Dental Instruments (AREA)
Abstract
A system for managing dental instruments (106-117) comprises readers (118-120) for receiving reader data from instrument identifiers of the dental instruments and a data processing system (101) comprising one or more processors and memory and being communicatively connected to the readers. The data processing system is configured to maintain a database containing status information related to the dental instruments and to update the database based on the reader data received from the readers. The status information is indicative of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: i) usability of the dental instrument for a predetermined therapeutic operation, ii) instrument-specific data accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data, and iii) completeness of an instrument set to which the dental instrument belongs. Thus, the system can be adapted to carry out various monitoring and management tasks related to the dental instruments.
Description
A system and a method for managing dental instruments Field of the disclosure The disclosure relates to a system and to a method for managing dental instruments. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a computer program for managing dental instruments. Background In many cases, authorities and actors on the dental field want to have an infallible and traceable solution to follow dental instruments to be able to trace disinfection, sterilization, reparation, clinical use, and other operations directed to or carried out with the dental instruments under consideration. Nowadays, users do not typically have time and willingness to generate reports manually because of the related workload. In addition, there is a risk of errors with manual data recording and identification of dental instruments, which prevents regarding the manually recorded data as an irrefutable proof of what has been done and what has not been done. In some cases, there can be many different needs related to dental instruments. For example, there can be a need to arrange the dental instruments to form individual instrument sets and a dental instrument of a given instrument set should not be accidentally replaced with a similar dental instrument not belonging to the instrument o 20 set under consideration. A user of a given instrument set may want for example that O all the dental instruments used by this user have been sharpened and/or otherwise 2 maintained by a given maintenance person. Therefore, there is not only the above- o mentioned need to track the dental instruments involved in various processes but z there can be for example also a need to manage instrument sets of the kind mentioned above. 3 Summary
S The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some embodiments of the invention. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention. The term dental instrument is used in this document to denote, for example and not limited to, dental hand instruments, such as sickles, curettes and handles for scalpels, handpieces for burs and other rotary instruments, and retractors etc as presented in e.g. the publication Scheller-Sheridan, Carmen, Basic guide to dental instruments, John Wiley & Sons, 2011. ISBN-10: 1-4051-3379-1 ISBN-13: 978-1- 4051-3379-1 as well as Boyd, Linda Bartolomucci, Dental Instruments-E-Book: A Pocket Guide, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2020. ISBN-10:032367352X ISBN-13:
9780323673525. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a new system for managing dental instruments each of which can be provided with a unigue instrument identifier such as e.g. a barcode and/or a radio frequency identifier “RFID” tag. The system comprises: - readers configured to receive reader data from the instrument identifiers of the dental instruments, and - a data processing system comprising one or more processors and memory, the data processing system being communicatively connected to the readers. N The data processing system is configured to maintain a database containing status N information related to the dental instruments and to update the database based on 3 the reader data received at the data processing system from the readers, the status - information being indicative of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: E 25 i) usability of the dental instrument for a predetermined therapeutic operation, ii) = instrument-specific data accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the S instrument specific data, and iii) completeness of an instrument set to which the dental instrument belongs. Therefore, the system can be adapted to carry out various monitoring and management tasks related to the dental instruments. Exemplifying cases are briefly discussed below:
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system is configured to maintain group data entities each indicating which ones of the dental instruments belong to a given instrument set, compare the received reader data to the group data entities, and update the status information to indicate that one of the instrument sets is complete in response to a situation in which the received reader data identifies all the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets.
This embodiment is applicable in cases where there is a need to arrange the dental instruments to form individual instrument sets, and a dental instrument of a given instrument set should not be accidentally replaced with a similar dental instrument not belonging to the instrument set under consideration.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system is communicatively connected to an appointment system of e.g. a dental clinic, and the data processing system is configured to calculate need estimates for the dental instruments at predetermined sites based on information received from the appointment system and indicative of actions related to scheduled appointments and to be carried out with the dental instruments.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system is configured to send, to a user interface, data indicative which one or ones of the dental instruments are located at a site in response to a reception of a query message identifying the site.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system is configured to send, to a user interface, data indicative which one or ones of the dental instruments are S eligible for a treatment action in response to a reception of a query message & identifying the treatment action.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non- = 25 limiting embodiment, the data processing system is configured to send to a user > interface, in response to a reception of a query message, data indicative which one E or ones of the dental instruments have been subject to maintenance actions so = many times that the absolute value of a difference between the number of the S maintenance actions directed to a dental instrument under consideration and the N 30 maximum allowable number of the maintenance actions directable to this dental instrument is at most a safety margin.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system is configured to control a user interface to display a list of the dental instruments so that list items representing dental instruments having different statuses and/or locations are presented with different colors and/or other different indicia.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the readers comprise user interfaces enabling a user to set the instrument-specific data, and the data processing system is configured to maintain a database configured to store the instrument-specific data so that the instrument-specific data is accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data. In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system is configured to form action tracking data expressing actions carried out with the dental instruments and actions directed to the dental instruments in a chronological order, and to compare the action tracking data to predetermined reference data to reveal nonidealities in processes involving the dental instruments. In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system is configured to maintain a database defining activities related to the dental instruments, maintain activity rules defining which one or ones of the activities are allowable subsequent to other one or ones of the activities and which one or ones of the activities are forbidden subsequent to other one or ones of the activities, recognize activities related to the dental instruments based on the reader data, maintain a state-machine indicative of a status of each of the dental instruments based on the recognized activities, and prevent an attempted state transition related to one of the dental instruments in response to a situation in which N the attempted state transition corresponds to one of the activities forbidden 3 subsequent to another of the activities carried out earlier in conjunction with the 2 25 dental instrument under consideration. In a system according to an exemplifying and = non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system is configured to force the 0 attempted state transition in a response to a situation in which a user inputs D authorization data to the data processing system, i.e. the authorization data S overrules prevention of the attempted state transition based on the activity rules. In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system is configured to maintain a log data expressing a chain of the activities related to each of the dental instruments, and return one of the dental instruments to a most recent state that is allowable by the activity rules in response to cancellation of each state transition that has been forced by the authorization data in conjunction with the one of the dental instruments.
5 In accordance with the invention, there is provided also a new method for managing dental instruments. The method comprises receiving, at a data processing system, reader data from instrument identifiers of the dental instruments. The method further comprises maintaining a database containing status information related to the dental instruments and updating the database based on the reader data received at the data processing system from the instrument identifiers, the status information being indicative of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: i) usability of the dental instrument for a predetermined therapeutic operation, ii) instrument-specific data accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data, and iii) completeness of an instrument set to which the dental instrument belongs.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided also a new computer program for managing dental instruments. The computer program comprises computer executable instructions for controlling a programmable processor to receive reader data from instrument identifiers of the dental instruments. The computer program further comprises computer executable instructions for controlling the programmable processor to maintain a database containing status information related to the dental instruments and to update the database based on the reader data received from the instrument identifiers, the status information being indicative N of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: i) usability of the dental N instrument for a predetermined therapeutic operation, ii) instrument-specific data = 25 accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data, and = iii) completeness of an instrument set to which the dental instrument belongs.
a 0 A computer program product according to the invention comprises a non-volatile D computer readable medium, e.g. a compact disc “CD”, encoded with a computer S program according to the invention.
Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments are described in accompanied dependent claims.
Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments both as to constructions and to methods of manufacturing, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features. The features recited in depending claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of "a" or "an", i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality unless otherwise explicitly stated. Brief description of the figures Exemplifying embodiments and their advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 illustrates a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment for managing dental instruments, and figure 2 shows a flowchart of a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment for managing dental instruments. Description of exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments N 20 The specific examples provided in the description given below should not be N construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the appended claims. Lists = and groups of examples provided in the description given below are not exhaustive > unless otherwise explicitly stated. = co Figure 1 illustrates a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting D 25 embodiment for managing dental instruments. The system comprises readers 118, O 119, and 120 configured to receive reader data from the instrument identifiers of the dental instruments. Each reader may comprise for example a radio reader for reading RFID tags and/or an optical reader for reading barcodes, Quick Response
“QR” code, and/or other optical identifiers. In the exemplifying system shown in figure 1, the reader 118 is located at a maintenance site 132 where the dental instruments are washed, maintained, e.g. sharpened with a sharpening tool 137, and their condition is inspected. The reader 119 is located at a sterilization site 133 where the dental instruments are sterilized with an autoclave 138 and/or with other sterilization means. After the sterilization process, the dental instruments are ready for use and they are transferred to a storage site 134. The reader 120 is located at a usage site 135 where the dental instruments are used for their purposes of usage. Each of the readers 118-120 is configured to generate an identifier signal after reading an identifier of a dental instrument. Each identifier signal contains identification data that advantageously uniquely identifies the dental instrument corresponding to the identifier signal under question. The system comprises a data processing system 101 that comprises one or more processors and memory. The data processing system 101 is communicatively connected to the readers 118, 119, and 120 via e.g. Ethernet or with some other suitable local networking technology. Furthermore, the data processing system 101 can be connected to an external memory 121 and/or to cloud 141 services. The data processing system 101 is configured to maintain a database containing status information related to the dental instruments and to update the database based on the reader data received at the data processing system 101 from the readers 118, 119, and 120. The status information is indicative of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: i) usability of a given dental instrument for a predetermined o therapeutic operation, ii) instrument-specific data accessible by using the reader S data as a pointer to the instrument specific data, and iii) completeness of an 3 25 instrument set to which the dental instrument belongs. Thus, the system can be 2 adapted to carry out various monitoring and management tasks related to the dental E instruments.
5 In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data < processing system 101 is configured to maintain group data entities each indicating N 30 which ones of the dental instruments belong to a given instrument set. In the exemplifying case shown in figure 1, there are many instrument sets and three of the instrument sets are denoted with reference numbers 103, 104, and 105. In the exemplifying system shown in figure 1, the instrument set 103 comprises dental instruments 106, 107, 108, and 109, the instrument set 104 comprises dental instruments 110, 111, 112, and 113, and the instrument set 105 comprises dental instruments 114, 115, 116, and 117. In the exemplifying situation shown in figure 1, the instrument set 103 is at the maintenance site 132, the instrument set 104 is at the sterilization site 132, and the instrument set 105 is at the usage site 135. Each of the dental instruments 106-117 is provided with a unique instrument identifier that can comprise for example a barcode and/or a radio frequency identifier “RFID” tag. In the exemplifying system shown in figure 1, the instruments 106-109 of the instrument set 103 are handled with the aid of a collector platform 122, the instruments 110-113 of the instrument set 104 are handled with the aid of a collector platform 123, and the instruments 114-115 of the instrument set 105 are handled with the aid of a collector platform 124. The collector platforms 122-124 are auxiliary devices for keeping together the instruments belonging to a same instrument set. It is worth noting that in many cases it is also possible to handle the instrument sets without auxiliary devices such as the collector platforms 122-124. Furthermore, it is also possible that a collector platform contains one or more instrument sets and, in addition, one or more separate instruments which do not belong to any instrument set. It is also possible to treat the instruments contained by a large collector platform as a higher-level instrument set that comprises different lower-level sets and possibly separate instruments not belonging to any of the lower level sets.
Therefore, it is possible to define various set hierarchies. o The data processing system 101 is configured to compare the received reader data S to the group data entities, and to update the status information to indicate that a 3 25 given one of the instrument sets is complete in response to a situation in which the 2 received reader data identifies all the dental instruments belonging to the one of the E instrument sets. This embodiment is applicable in cases where a dental instrument © of a given instrument set should not be accidentally replaced with a similar dental D instrument not belonging to the instrument set under consideration. Without limiting S 30 generality and for illustrative purposes, we consider an exemplifying situation where the above-mentioned instrument set is the instrument set 104 that comprises the instruments 110-113. In this case, the identifier signals are received from the sterilization site 133. When each of the instruments 110-111 is taken out from the autoclave 138, the reader 119 reads the instrument identifier of the instrument under consideration. The reading the instrument identifier of the instrument 110 is depicted with a dashed line arrow shown in figure 1. The reader 119 generates the identifier signals each identifying one of the instruments 110-113. The data processing system 101 is configured to compare the received identifier signals to the group data entities which define the instrument sets. If the received identifier signals identify all the instruments 110-113 of the instrument set 104, the data processing system 101 sets the status information of the instrument set 104 to indicate completeness of the instrument set 104, i.e. to indicate that the instrument set 104 is complete. The operation can be for example such that the status information is set to indicate incompleteness when an identifier signal identifying any of the instruments 110-113 is received for a first time, and the status information is switched back to indicate completeness when the received identifier signals identify all the instruments 110-
113. In this case, the data processing system 101 can be configured to compare the received identifier signals with the group data entity that defines the instrument set 104 and to set the status information to indicate completeness if all the instruments of the instrument set 104 are represented by the received update signals, and to set the status information to indicate incompleteness if one or more of the instruments is/are missing and/or if one or more of the instruments indicated by the received identifier signals are instruments not belonging to the instrument set 104. Therefore, it is possible to find out for example situations where one or more of the instruments of the instrument set 104 have been accidentally replaced with one or more similar N instruments not belonging to the instrument set 104. The data processing system N 25 101 is advantageously configured to generate an appropriate alarm signal in cases = where the instrument set is detected to be incomplete. In a case the data processing > system 101 does not receive an identifier signal related to an instrument read by a E previous reader on the path comprising the sites 132-135, an alarm signal can be = generated as well. It is also possible that the device 101 generates a message such S 30 as for example: “Is instrument 111 in the set?” This message is advantageously i delivered to a person operating the reader under consideration. One more option is that the above-mentioned message contains a reguest to read the instrument set again.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is configured to update the status information to indicate that a given one of the instrument sets is complete only in response to reception of the reader data identifying all the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets from a same site of operation.
The site of operation can be e.g. the maintenance site 132, the sterilization site 133, the storage site 134, or the usage site 135. Without limiting generality and for illustrative purposes, we consider an exemplifying situation where the above-mentioned instrument set is the instrument set 104 that comprises the instruments 110-113. In this case, the instrument set 104 is deemed to be complete only if all the identifier signals identifying the instruments 110-113 are received from the sterilization site 133. The additional condition related to the site of operation reduces a risk of misinterpretations that may take place for example in cases where similar instruments of two instrument sets have been accidentally interchanged and the identifier signals related to one of these incomplete instrument sets are received from one site and the identifier signals related to the other one of these incomplete instrument sets are received from another site.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is configured to update the status information to indicate that a given one of the instrument sets is complete only in response to reception of the reader data identifying the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets from a same reader.
In the exemplifying situation where the above-mentioned o instrument set is the instrument set 104 that comprises the instruments 110-113, S the instrument set 104 is deemed to be complete only if all the identifier signals 3 25 identifying the instruments 110-113 are received from the reader 119. This 2 additional condition related to the reader reduces the risk of misinterpretations in the E same way as the above-described additional condition related to the site of © operation. 3 N In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data N 30 processing system 101 is configured to update the status information to indicate that a given one of the instrument sets is complete only in response to reception of the reader data identifying the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets within a time interval having a pre-determined length, i.e. within a time-window having the pre-determined length. In the exemplifying situation where the above- mentioned instrument set is the instrument set 104 that comprises the instruments 110-113, the instrument set 104 is deemed to be complete only if all the identifier signals identifying the instruments 110-113 are received by the data processing system 101 within the time interval having the pre-determined length. The additional condition related to the length of the reception time interval reduces the risk of misinterpretations that may take place for example in cases where similar instruments of two instrument sets have been accidentally interchanged and the identifier signals related to one of these incomplete instrument sets are received first and the identifier signals related to the other one or ones of these incomplete instrument sets are received later.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is configured to update the status information to indicate that a given one of the instrument sets is complete only in response to reception of the reader data identifying the instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets within a time interval that is free from receptions of the reader data identifying dental instruments other than the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets. In the exemplifying situation where the above-mentioned instrument set is the instrument set 104 that comprises the instruments 110-113, the instrument set 104 is deemed to be complete only if all the identifier signals identifying the instruments 110-113 are received within such a time interval that is free from receptions of o identifier signals identifying instruments other than the instruments 110-113. This S additional condition reduces the risk of misinterpretations that may take place for 3 25 example in cases where similar instruments of two instrument sets have been 2 accidentally interchanged and these incomplete instrument sets are handled in a E same site of operation substantially simultaneously. 5 In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data < processing system 101 is configured to maintain a logical association between at N 30 least one of the dental instruments and one or more entity identifiers. Each of the entity identifiers identifies an operational entity operationally associated with the above-mentioned the dental instrument.
The entity identifiers may comprise for example one or more of the following: - an identifier of a collector platform, such as e.g. the above-mentioned collector platforms 122-124, for keeping together an instrument set comprising the above-mentioned the dental instrument and one or more other dental instruments, - one or more identifiers of one or more persons eligible to use the above- mentioned the dental instrument, - one or more identifiers of one or more physical objects eligible to be treated with the above-mentioned the dental instrument, - one or more identifiers of one or more persons eligible to direct an action, e.g. a maintenance action, to the above-mentioned the dental instrument, and/or - one or more identifiers of one or more devices, e.g. maintenance tools, eligible to be used for directing an action to the above-mentioned the dental instrument.
Without limiting generality and for illustrative purposes, we consider an exemplifying situation where the above-mentioned instrument set is the instrument set 105 that comprises the instruments 114-117. We further assume that the group data entity o 20 of the instrument set 105 is associated with an entity identifier that is an identifier of O a person 160 who is eligible to use the instrument set 105. In this case, the 2 instrument set 105 is deemed to be complete only if the identifier of the person 160 o is received when the identifier signals identifying the instruments 114-117 are z received.
Therefore, from the viewpoint of managing the instrument set 104, the N 25 person 160 can be logically treated in the same way as any of the instruments 114- 2 117, i.e. the reception of the identifier of the person 160 is a precondition for deeming N the instrument set 105 to be complete at the usage site 135 in the same way as the N reception of the identifier signals identifying the instruments 114-117 is a precondition for deeming the instrument set 105 to be complete.
The person 160 may have for example a name pad provided with a barcode and/or with an RFID tag which can be read with the aid of the reader 120. The reading the identifiers of the instruments are depicted with dashed line arrows in figure 1a. The reading the identifier of the person 160 is also depicted with a dashed line arrow shown in figure 1a. The management can be site/reader-dependent so that the reception of the identifier of the person 160 is the precondition for deeming the instrument set 105 to be complete only when the identifier signals and the identifier of the person 160 are received from the reader 120 located at the usage site 135. Information defining possible site/reader-dependence can be, for example, associated with the group data entity that defines the instrument set 105. With the aid of the above-exemplified — site/reader-dependence, it is possible to arrange a system where an instrument set is deemed to be complete at a first site only if a first operational entity is operationally associated with the instrument set at the first site whereas the same instrument set is deemed to be complete at a second site only if a second operational entity is operationally associated with the instrument set at the second site. In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is communicatively connected to an appointment system
140. The appointment system 140 can be for example an appointment system of a dental clinic. The data processing system 101 is configured to calculate need estimates for the dental instruments at predetermined sites based on information received from the appointment system and indicative of actions related to scheduled appointments and to be carried out with the dental instruments. The data processing system 101 can be for example configured to compare the dental instruments that o are located at the predetermined sites and eligible for carrying out the actions S related to scheduled appointments to the above-mentioned need estimates, and to 3 25 send, to a user interface and/or a recording memory, an acknowledgement signal in 2 response to a situation in which the dental instruments located at the predetermined E sites are capable of satisfying the need estimates, and to send, to the user interface © and/or the recording memory, a warning signal in response to a situation in which D the dental instruments located at the predetermined sites are incapable of satisfying S 30 the need estimates. The data processing system 101 is advantageously configured to set the warning signal to express which one or ones of the above-mentioned need estimates are not fulfilled by the available dental instruments. The user interface may comprise for example a user interface of the appointment system 140, and/or a user interface connected to the data processing system 101. In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is configured to send, to the user interface and/or the recording memory, data indicative which one or ones of the dental instruments are located at a site in response to a reception of a query message identifying the site.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is configured to send, to the user interface and/or the recording memory, data indicative which one or ones of the dental instruments are eligible for a treatment action in response to a reception of a query message identifying the treatment action.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is configured to send to the user interface and/or the recording memory, in response to a reception of a lifetime query, lifetime data indicative which one or ones of the dental instruments have been subject to maintenance actions so many times that an absolute value of a difference between the number of the maintenance actions directed to each one of these dental instruments and the maximum allowable number of the maintenance actions directable to the dental instrument is at most a safety margin.
This lifetime data can be used for providing early warnings about the ends of the lifetimes of the dental instruments.
S In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data 2 processing system 101 is configured to control the user interface to display a list of © the dental instruments so that list items representing dental instruments having I 25 different statuses and/or locations are presented with different colors. a = In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the readers S 118-120 comprise user interfaces 142, 143, and 144 enabling a user to set at least a part of the instrument-specific data.
The data processing system 101 is configured to control the database storing the instrument-specific data so that the instrument-
specific data is accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the user interfaces 142-144 of the readers 118-120 are configured to enable a user to set the —instrument-specific data to express at least one of the following: a need to inspect the dental instrument related to the instrument-specific data, a need to repair the dental instrument related to the instrument-specific data, a need replace the dental instrument with a new one.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is configured to form action tracking data expressing actions carried out with the dental instruments and actions directed to the dental instruments in a chronological order. Furthermore, the data processing system 101 is configured to compare the action tracking data to predetermined reference data to reveal nonidealities of processes involving the dental instruments.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the above- mentioned action tracking data is configured to express, for each of the dental instruments, actions related to the dental instrument after the dental instrument is removed from a storage at the storage site 134 until the dental instrument is returned into the storage or the dental instrument is discarded.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data S processing system 101 is configured to:
O N - maintain a database defining activities related to the dental instruments,
O o - maintain activity rules defining which one or ones of the activities are z allowable subseguent to other one or ones of the activities and which one or N 25 ones of the activities are forbidden subseguent to other one or ones of the ä activities, N - recognize activities related to the dental instruments based on the reader data,
- maintain a state-machine indicative of a status of each of the dental instruments based on the recognized activities, and - prevent an attempted state transition related to one of the dental instruments in response to a situation in which the attempted state transition corresponds to one of the activities forbidden subsequent to another of the activities carried out earlier in conjunction with the dental instrument under consideration. In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is configured to force the attempted state transition of the above-mentioned dental instrument in a response to a situation in which a user inputs authorization data to the data processing system 101, where the authorization data overrules the prevention of the attempted state transition based on the activity rules. In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data processing system 101 is configured to maintain a log data expressing a chain of the activities directed to each of the dental instruments, and return the one of the dental instruments to a most recent state that is allowable by the activity rules in response to cancellation of each state transition that has been forced by the above- mentioned authorization data. In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the data S processing system 101 is configured to:
O N - maintain a list of users and/or a list of washing machines and/or a list of 3 autoclaves, 2 z - set the instrument-specific data to comprise at least data expressing past N 25 activities performed on the corresponding dental instrument and data 2 expressing by which user and/or with which washing machine and/or with ä which autoclave the past activities have been performed, - set the state-machine to include states that indicate that the dental instrument is either in a usable status or in an unusable status depending on whether a sterilizing activity has been performed subsequent to a cleaning activity or not and whether a use activity has been performed subsequent to the sterilizing activity, - control the user interface to display at least a part of the list of users and/or at least a part of the list of washing machines and/or at least a part of the list of autoclaves, - receive a signal from the user interface indicating that at least one of the users on the list is categorized as unreliable, and/or at least one of the washing machines is categorized as malfunctioning, and/or at least one of the autoclaves is categorized as malfunctioning, and - search, from the database, for dental instruments whose status is currently the usable-status and whose latest cleaning and/or sterilization activity is performed by the unreliable user and/or the malfunctioning washing machine and/or the malfunctioning autoclave, and to change the status of these dental instruments from usable to unusable.
One additional challenge that is frequently present in conjunction with dental clinic operations is a need to replace one or more dental instruments of an instrument set or collector platform with one or more new or serviced dental instruments, because an existing dental instrument is worn out and/or needs service or discarding.
In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, a redefine < set -procedure is offered to users of the system. This procedure allows a user to N take an existing instrument set 103 or collector platform 122, remove and/or add 3 dental instruments as necessary, activate the redefine set -function on a reader 119, - then read the dental instruments in the collector platform of the newly reformed E 25 instrument set with the reader, and send the information to the database maintained = by the processing system 101 in order to tell the database that the instrument set in S question now consists of the instruments in the read collector platform 122 or instrument set 103. The redefine set -procedure brings the benefit of allowing to easily and quickly redefine and modify existing instrument sets and/or collector platform contents without taking the steps of selecting dental instruments to be removed from a set and/or to be added to a set on e.g. a user interface.
In some cases, it is practical to take one or more dental instruments from an existing instrument set 103 or collector platform 122 and add the one or more dental instruments to another instrument set 104 or collector platform 123. Likewise, identical dental instruments 106, 113 with unique identifiers from different instrument sets may sometimes be mixed up so that a collector platform contains the right instrument types, e.g. a sickle 110, a forceps 107, and a scalpel 117, but the unique instrument identifiers of the dental instruments are not the identifiers associated as an instrument set 103 in the database maintained by the processing system 101. To sort out the mixed instruments and place them in the same collector platforms 122, 123, and 124 as the instrument sets 103, 104, and 105 defined in the database is laborious and may be unnecessary work that does not benefit the patient or the organisation.
Therefore, in a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, a user can take a collector platform 103 which has the right instrument types, e.g. a sickle 110, a forceps 107, and a scalpel 117, which unfortunately are associated with different instrument sets 103, 104, 105 in the database, and select a redefine set function on a reader.
When the system detects that the user has initiated the redefine set -function and reads the dental instruments 110, 107, and 117 that belong to different instrument sets 103, 104, and 105 in the database 101, the system shows on the user interface 143 of the reader 119 information about the instrument sets 103, 104, and 105 in question and queries the user to select which o of the instrument sets 103, 104, or 105 the read dental instruments should be re- S associated with.
When the user selects one of the existing sets e.g. 103, the dental 3 25 instruments 110, 107, and 117 are associated with the selected set 103 and the old 2 associations between the dental instruments 106, 108, and 109 and the set are E removed or hidden.
The old associations may be stored for reference and audit trails © but are no longer used to associate the dental instruments 106, 108, and 109 with D the instrument set 103. Instead of allowing the user to select the set to which the S 30 instruments will be redefined, the system may be configured to automatically choose the set to which the majority of the instruments already belong.
For example, if three instruments are read, and two of those instruments belong to the same set, all three instruments are associated with this set. This accelerates the process as the user does not have to consider which existing set to select. In a system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment: a) the data processing system 101 is configured to maintain: - a first logical association between a first instrument set 103 and at least a first dental instrument identifier associating at least one dental instrument 106, 107, and/or 108 with the first instrument set, and - a second logical association between a second instrument set 104 and at least a second dental instrument identifier associating at least one dental instrument 111, 112, and/or 113 with said second instrument set, and b) at least one of the readers 118-120 is configured to: - receive an indication, via a user interface 142 from a user, to start a redefine set -procedure, - receive reader data from at least three dental instrument identifiers of which dental instrument identifiers at least two dental instrument identifiers are already logically associated with the first instrument set in the database maintained by the data processing system and at least one second dental instrument identifier is logically associated with the second instrument set in the database,
QA N 20 - count the number of instrument identifiers associated with each instrument 3 set in order to create a list of read instrument sets and their counts of 2 instrument identifiers, = > - compare the counts with each other to identify if one of the counts is higher 00 5 than all the other counts, and £ S 25 - if one of the counts is higher than the others, selecting the instrument set with the highest count as a selected instrument set, and c) the data processing system 101 is configured to:
- create a logical association between all the received dental instrument identifiers and the selected instrument set in order to redefine the selected instrument set to comprise said read instruments. The above-discussed data processing system 101 comprises processor equipment 102 that may comprise one or more processor units each of which can be a programmable processor unit, a dedicated hardware processor unit such as an application specific integrated circuit “ASIC”, a configurable processor unit such as a field programmable gate array “FPGA”, or a combination of these. Figure 2 shows a flowchart of a method according to an exemplifying and non- limiting embodiment for managing dental instruments. The method comprises the following actions: - action 201: receiving, at a data processing system, reader data from instrument identifiers of the dental instruments, - action 202: maintaining a database containing status information related to the dental instruments, and - action 203: updating the database based on the reader data received at the data processing system from the instrument identifiers, the status information being indicative of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: i) usability of the dental instrument for a predetermined therapeutic operation, ii) instrument-specific data accessible by using the reader data as a pointer S to the instrument specific data, and iii) completeness of an instrument set to a which the dental instrument belongs.
O o A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises z maintaining one or more group data entities each indicating which ones of the dental instruments belong to a corresponding one of instrument sets, comparing the x received reader data to the one or more group data entities, and updating the status N information to indicate that one of the instrument sets is complete in response to a N situation in which the received reader data identifies all the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets.
A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises updating the status information to indicate that the one of the instrument sets is complete only in response to reception of the reader data identifying the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets from a same site of operation. A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises updating the status information to indicate that the one of the instrument sets is complete only in response to reception of the reader data identifying the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets from a same one of the readers. A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises updating the status information to indicate that the one of the instrument sets is complete only in response to reception of the reader data identifying the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets within a time interval having a pre-determined length. A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises updating the status information to indicate that the one of the instrument sets is complete only in response to reception of the reader data identifying the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets within a time interval that is free from receptions of the reader data identifying dental instruments other than the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets. S A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises 2 maintaining a logical association between at least one of the dental instruments and © one or more entity identifiers, each of the entity identifiers identifying an operational I 25 entity operationally associated with the one of the dental instruments. The one or a © more entity identifiers may comprise for example one or more of the following:
K 3 - an identifier of a collector platform for keeping together an instrument set N comprising the one of the dental instruments, - one or more identifiers of one or more persons eligible to use the one of the dental instruments,
- one or more identifiers of one or more physical objects eligible to be treated with the one of the dental instruments, - one or more identifiers of one or more persons eligible to direct an action to the one of the dental instruments, - one or more identifiers of one or more devices eligible to be used for directing the action to the one of the dental instruments. A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises receiving information from an appointment system and calculating need estimates for the dental instruments at predetermined sites based on the information received from the appointment system and being indicative of actions related to scheduled appointments and to be carried out with the dental instruments. A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises comparing the dental instruments located at the predetermined sites and eligible for carrying out the actions related to scheduled appointments to the above-mentioned need estimates, and sending, to a user interface and/or a recording memory, an acknowledgement signal in response to a situation in which the dental instruments located at the predetermined sites are capable of satisfying the need estimates, and sending, to the user interface and/or the recording memory, a warning signal in response to a situation in which the dental instruments located at the predetermined sites are incapable of satisfying the need estimates. N A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises N setting the warning signal to express which one or ones of the need estimates are o <Q not fulfilled by the dental instruments.
O z A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises a © 25 sending, to a user interface and/or a recording memory, data indicative which one
NN x or ones of the dental instruments are located at a site in response to a reception of
O S a guery message identifying the site.
N A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises sending, to a user interface and/or a recording memory, data indicative which one or ones of the dental instruments are eligible for a treatment action in response to a reception of a query message identifying the treatment action.
A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises sending to a user interface and/or a recording memory, in response to a reception of a lifetime query, lifetime data indicative which one or ones of the dental instruments have been subject to maintenance actions so many times that an absolute value of a difference between the number of the maintenance actions directed to each one of these dental instruments and the maximum allowable number of the maintenance actions directable to the dental instrument is at most a safety margin.
A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises controlling a user interface to display a list of the dental instruments so that list items representing dental instruments having different statuses and/or locations are presented with different colors.
In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, readers that read the reader data comprise user interfaces enabling a user to set the instrument- specific data, and the method comprises controlling the database storing the instrument-specific data so that the instrument-specific data is accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data.
In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the user S interfaces of the readers enable the user to set the instrument-specific data to O express at least one of the following: a need to inspect the dental instrument related 2 to the instrument-specific data, a need to repair the dental instrument related to the © instrument-specific data, a need replace the dental instrument with a new one.
E 25 A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises = forming action tracking data expressing actions carried out with the dental S instruments and actions directed to the dental instruments in a chronological order, and comparing the action tracking data to predetermined reference data to reveal nonidealities of processes involving the dental instruments.
In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the action tracking data expresses, for each of the dental instruments, actions related to the dental instrument after the dental instrument is removed from a storage until the dental instrument is returned into the storage or the dental instrument is discarded.
A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises: - maintaining a database defining activities related to the dental instruments, - maintaining activity rules defining which one or ones of the activities are allowable subsequent to other one or ones of the activities and which one or ones of the activities are forbidden subsequent to other one or ones of the activities, - recognizing activities related to the dental instruments based on the reader data, - maintaining a state-machine indicative of a status of each of the dental instruments based on the recognized activities, and - preventing an attempted state transition related to one of the dental instruments in response to a situation in which the attempted state transition corresponds to one of the activities forbidden subsequent to another of the activities carried out earlier in conjunction with the dental instrument under consideration.
N 20 A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises N forcing the attempted state transition of the one of the dental instruments in = response to a situation in which a user inputs authorization data that overrules the > prevention of the attempted state transition based on the activity rules.
Ao a co A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises D 25 maintaining a log data expressing a chain of the activities directed to each of the O dental instruments, and returning the one of the dental instruments to a most recent state that is allowable by the activity rules in response to cancellation of each state transition that has been forced by the authorization data.
A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises: - maintaining a list of users and/or a list of washing machines and/or a list of autoclaves, - setting the instrument-specific data to comprise at least data expressing past activities performed on the corresponding instrument and data expressing by which of the users and/or with which of the washing machines and/or with which of the autoclaves the past activities have been performed, - setting the state-machine to include states that indicate that the dental instrument is either in a usable status or in an unusable status depending on whether a sterilizing activity has been performed subsequent to a cleaning activity or not and whether a use activity has been performed subsequent to the sterilizing activity, - controlling a user interface to display at least a part of the list of users and/or at least a part of the list of washing machines and/or at least a part of the list of autoclaves, - receiving a signal from the user interface indicating that one of the users on the list is categorized as unreliable, and/or one of the washing machines is categorized as malfunctioning, and/or one of the autoclaves is categorized as malfunctioning, and o 20 - searching, from the database, dental instruments whose status is currently
QA S the usable-status and whose latest cleaning or sterilization activity is 2 performed by the unreliable user and/or the malfunctioning washing machine 2 and/or the malfunctioning autoclave, and to change the status of these dental = instruments from usable to unusable.
a = 25 A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises: £ S - maintaining a logical association between at least a first instrument set and at least a first instrument identifier associating at least a first one of the dental instruments with the first instrument set,
- receiving, via a user interface, an indication to start a redefine set -procedure, - receiving reader data from instrument identifiers of at least two of the dental instruments, of which instrument identifiers at least one first instrument identifier is logically associated with the first instrument set and at least one second instrument identifier of a second one of the dental instruments is not logically associated with the first instrument set, - receiving, via the user interface, an indication to end the redefine set - procedure, and - communicating with the data processing system to convey information about the redefine set -procedure, the first instrument set, and the instrument identifiers of the at least two of the dental instruments, wherein the method further comprises: - maintaining the logical association between the first instrument identifier and the first instrument set, and - creating a logical association between the second instrument identifier and the first instrument set in order to redefine the instrument set to comprise the first one of the dental instruments and also the second one of the dental instruments. A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises:
N N 20 - maintaining a first logical association between at least a first instrument set 3 and at least one first instrument identifier associating at least a first one of 2 the dental instruments with the first instrument set, = > - maintaining a second logical association between at least a second 00 5 instrument set and at least one second instrument identifier associating at
LO N 25 least a second one of the dental instruments with the second instrument set,
N - receiving, via a user interface, an indication to start a redefine set -procedure,
- receiving reader data from instrument identifiers of at least two of the dental instruments, of which instrument identifiers the first instrument identifier is logically associated with the first instrument set and the second instrument identifier is logically associated with the second instrument set, - sending information regarding the first instrument set and the second instrument set to the user interface to allow a user to select one of the first and second instrument sets, - receiving, via the user interface, an indication to select the first instrument set, and - communicating with the data processing system to convey information about the redefine set -procedure, the first and second instrument sets, and at least the first and second instrument identifiers of at least the first and second ones of the dental instruments, wherein the method further comprises: - maintaining the logical association between the first instrument identifier and the first instrument set, - removing the logical association between the second instrument identifier and the second instrument set in order to disassociate the second one of the dental instruments from the second instrument set, and N 20 - creating a logical association between the second instrument identifier and N the first instrument set in order to redefine the first instrument set to comprise = the first one of the dental instruments and also the second one of the dental W instruments.
T o co A computer program according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment 10 25 comprises computer executable instructions for controlling a programmable O processor to carry out a method according to any of the above-defined exemplifying embodiments.
A computer program according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises software modules for managing dental instruments. The software modules comprise computer executable instructions for controlling a programmable processor to: - receive reader data from instrument identifiers of the dental instruments, - maintain a database containing status information related to the dental instruments, and - update the database based on the reader data received from the instrument identifiers, the status information being indicative of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: i) usability of the dental instrument for a predetermined therapeutic operation, ii) instrument-specific data accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data, and iii) completeness of an instrument set to which the dental instrument belongs. The software modules can be, for example, subroutines and functions generated — with a suitable programming language. A computer program product according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises a non-volatile computer readable medium, e.g. a compact disc “CD”, encoded with a computer program according to an exemplifying and non- limiting embodiment. o 20 A signal according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment is encoded to S carry information defining a computer program according to an exemplifying and 3 non-limiting embodiment.
O - The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be E construed as limiting the applicability and/or the interpretation of the appended = 25 claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are
LO S not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.
Claims (23)
1. A system for managing dental instruments, the system comprising: - readers (118-120) configured to receive reader data from instrument identifiers of the dental instruments, and - a data processing system (101) comprising one or more processors and memory, the data processing system being communicatively connected to the readers, characterized in that the data processing system is configured to maintain a database containing status information related to the dental instruments and to update the database based on the reader data received at the data processing system from the readers, the status information being indicative of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: i) usability of the dental instrument for a predetermined therapeutic operation, ii) instrument-specific data accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data, and iii) completeness of an instrument set to which the dental instrument belongs.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to maintain one or more group data entities each indicating which ones of the dental instruments belong to a corresponding one of instrument sets, compare the received reader data to the one or more group data entities, and update the status information to indicate that one of the instrument sets is complete in response S to a situation in which the received reader data identifies all the dental instruments a belonging to the one of the instrument sets.
O o
3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the data processing system (101) is z configured to update the status information to indicate that the one of the instrument sets is complete in response to at least one of the following: > S - reception of the reader data identifying the dental instruments belonging to N the one of the instrument sets from a same site of operation, and/or
- reception of the reader data identifying the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets from a same one of the readers, and/or - reception of the reader data identifying the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets within a time interval having a pre-determined length, and/or - reception of the reader data identifying the instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets within a time interval that is free from receptions of the reader data identifying dental instruments other than the dental instruments belonging to the one of the instrument sets.
4 A system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to maintain a logical association between at least one of the dental instruments and one or more entity identifiers, each of the entity identifiers identifying an operational entity operationally associated with the one of the dental instruments.
5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the one or more entity identifiers comprise one or more of the following: - an identifier of a collector platform (122-124) for keeping together an instrument set comprising the one of the dental instruments, - one or more identifiers of one or more persons eligible to use the one of the o 20 dental instruments,
S 3 - one or more identifiers of one or more physical objects eligible to be treated = with the one of the dental instruments, E - one or more identifiers of one or more persons eligible to direct an action to co the one of the dental instruments, and/or > N 25 - one or more identifiers of one or more devices eligible to be used for directing N the action to the one of the dental instruments.
6. A system according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the data processing system (101) is communicatively connected to an appointment system, and the data processing system is configured to calculate need estimates for the dental instruments at predetermined sites based on information received from the appointment system and indicative of actions related to scheduled appointments and to be carried out with the dental instruments.
7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to compare the dental instruments located at the predetermined sites and eligible for carrying out the actions related to scheduled appointments to the need estimates, and send, to a user interface and/or a recording memory, an acknowledgement signal in response to a situation in which the dental instruments located at the predetermined sites are capable of satisfying the need estimates, and send, to the user interface and/or the recording memory, a warning signal in response to a situation in which the dental instruments located at the predetermined — sites are incapable of satisfying the need estimates.
8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to set the warning signal to express which one or ones of the need estimates are not fulfilled by the dental instruments.
9. Asystem according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein: - the data processing system (101) is configured to send, to a user interface S and/or a recording memory, data indicative which one or ones of the dental O instruments are located at a site in response to a reception of a guery 2 message identifying the site, and/or
O T - the data processing system (101) is configured to send, to the user interface E 25 and/or the recording memory, data indicative which one or ones of the dental = instruments are eligible for a treatment action in response to a reception of a S query message identifying the treatment action, and/or
N - the data processing system (101) is configured to send to the user interface and/or the recording memory, in response to a reception of a lifetime query, lifetime data indicative which one or ones of the dental instruments have been subject to maintenance actions so many times that an absolute value of a difference between a number of the maintenance actions directed to each one of these dental instruments and a maximum allowable number of the maintenance actions directable to the dental instrument is at most a safety margin.
10. A system according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to control a user interface to display a list of the dental instruments so that list items representing dental instruments having different statuses and/or locations are presented with different colors.
11. A system according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the readers (118-120) comprise user interfaces (142-144) enabling a user to set the instrument-specific data, and the data processing system (101) is configured to control the database storing the instrument-specific data so that the instrument-specific data is accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data.
12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the user interfaces (142-144) of the readers are configured to enable the user to set the instrument-specific data to express at least one of the following: a need to inspect the dental instrument related to the instrument-specific data, a need to repair the dental instrument related to the instrument-specific data, a need replace the dental instrument with a new one.
13. A system according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the data processing S system (101) is configured to form action tracking data expressing actions carried O out with the dental instruments and actions directed to the dental instruments in a 2 chronological order, and to compare the action tracking data to predetermined © reference data to reveal nonidealities of processes involving the dental instruments. E 25
14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the action tracking data is configured = to express, for each of the dental instruments, actions related to the dental S instrument after the dental instrument is removed from a storage until the dental instrument is returned into the storage or the dental instrument is discarded.
15. A system according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to maintain a database defining activities related to the dental instruments, maintain activity rules defining which one or ones of the activities are allowable subsequent to other one or ones of the activities and which one or ones of the activities are forbidden subsequent to other one or ones of the activities, recognize activities related to the dental instruments based on the reader data, maintain a state-machine indicative of a status of each of the dental instruments based on the recognized activities, and prevent an attempted state transition related to one of the dental instruments in response to a situation in which the attempted state transition corresponds to one of the activities forbidden subsequent to another of the activities carried out earlier in conjunction with the dental instrument under consideration.
16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to force the attempted state transition of the one of the dental instruments in a response to a situation in which a user inputs authorization data to the data processing system, the authorization data overruling prevention of the attempted — state transition based on the activity rules.
17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to maintain a log data expressing a chain of the activities directed to each of the dental instruments, and return the one of the dental instruments to a most recent state that is allowable by the activity rules in response to cancellation of each state transition that has been forced by the authorization data.
18. A system according to any one of claims 15-17, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to:
O
N 2 - maintain a list of users and/or a list of washing machines and/or a list of © autoclaves,
T a 25 - set the instrument-specific data to comprise at least data expressing past = activities performed on the corresponding instrument and data expressing by S which of the users and/or with which of the washing machines and/or with which of the autoclaves the past activities have been performed, - set the state-machine to include states that indicate that the dental instrument is either in a usable status or in an unusable status depending on whether a sterilizing activity has been performed subsequent to a cleaning activity or not and whether a use activity has been performed subsequent to the sterilizing activity, - control a user interface to display at least a part of the list of users and/or at least a part of the list of washing machines and/or at least a part of the list of autoclaves, - receive a signal from the user interface indicating that one of the users on the list is categorized as unreliable, and/or one of the washing machines is categorized as malfunctioning, and/or one of the autoclaves is categorized as malfunctioning, and - search, from the database, dental instruments whose status is currently the usable-status and whose latest cleaning or sterilization activity is performed by the unreliable user and/or the malfunctioning washing machine and/or the malfunctioning autoclave, and to change the status of these dental instruments from usable to unusable.
19. A system according to any one of claims 1-18, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to maintain - a logical association between at least a first instrument set (103) and at least a first instrument identifier associating at least a first one of the dental instruments (106, 107, 108) with the first instrument set,
N S wherein at least one of the readers (118-120) is configured to: 3 o - receive, via a user interface (142), an indication to start a redefine set - - procedure,
T a co - receive reader data from instrument identifiers of at least two of the dental D 25 instruments (106, 111), of which instrument identifiers at least one first S instrument identifier is logically associated with the first instrument set (103) and at least one second instrument identifier of a second one of the dental instruments (111) is not logically associated with the first instrument set (103), - receive, via the user interface (142), an indication to end the redefine set - procedure, and - communicate with the data processing system (101) to convey information about the redefine set -procedure, the first instrument set (103), and the instrument identifiers of the at least two of the dental instruments (106, 111), and wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to: - maintain the logical association between the first instrument identifier and the first instrument set (103), and - create a logical association between the second instrument identifier and the first instrument set (103) in order to redefine the instrument set (103) to comprise the first one of the dental instruments and the second one of the dental instruments (111).
20. A system according to any one of claims 1-19, wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to maintain: - a first logical association between at least a first instrument set (103) and at least one first instrument identifier associating at least a first one of the dental N 20 instruments (106, 107, 108) with the first instrument set, and
N 3 - a second logical association between at least a second instrument set (104) 2 and at least one second instrument identifier associating at least a second E one of the dental instruments (111, 112, 113) with the second instrument set, 00 5 wherein at least one of the readers (118-120) is configured to:
LO
O
QA S 25 - receive, via a user interface (142), an indication to start a redefine set - procedure,
- receive reader data from instrument identifiers of at least two of the dental instruments (106, 111), of which instrument identifiers the first instrument identifier is logically associated with the first instrument set (103) and the second instrument identifier is logically associated with the second instrument set (104), - send information regarding the first instrument set (103) and the second instrument set (104) to the user interface (142) to allow a user to select one of the first and second instrument sets, - receive, via the user interface (142), an indication to select the first instrument set (103), - communicate with the data processing system (101) to convey information about the redefine set -procedure, the first and second instrument sets (103, 104), and at least the first and second instrument identifiers of at least the first and second ones of the dental instruments (106, 111), and wherein the data processing system (101) is configured to: - maintain the logical association between the first instrument identifier and the first instrument set (103), - remove the logical association between the second instrument identifier and the second instrument set (104) to disassociate the second one of the dental o 20 instruments (111) from the second instrument set (104), and & 3 - create a logical association between the second instrument identifier and the = first Instrument set (103) in order to redefine the first instrument set (103) to - comprise the first one of the dental instruments and the second one of the E dental instruments (111).
R D 25
21. A method for managing dental instruments, the method comprising receiving O (201), at a data processing system, reader data from instrument identifiers of the dental instruments, characterized in that the method comprises maintaining (202) a database containing status information related to the dental instruments and updating (203) the database based on the reader data received at the data processing system from the instrument identifiers, the status information being indicative of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: i) usability of the dental instrument for a predetermined therapeutic operation, ii) instrument-specific data accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data, and iii) completeness of an instrument set to which the dental instrument belongs.
22. A computer program for managing dental instruments, the computer program comprising computer executable instructions for controlling a programmable processor to receive reader data from instrument identifiers of the dental instruments, characterized in that the computer program comprises computer executable instructions for controlling the programmable processor to maintain a database containing status information related to the dental instruments and update the database based on the reader data received from the instrument identifiers, the status information being indicative of at least one of the following for the dental instruments: i) usability of the dental instrument for a predetermined therapeutic operation, ii) instrument-specific data accessible by using the reader data as a pointer to the instrument specific data, and iii) completeness of an instrument set to which the dental instrument belongs.
23. A computer program product comprising a non-volatile computer readable medium encoded with a computer program according to claim 22.
O
QA
O
N o <Q
O
I a a 00
NN 00
LO
O
QA
O
N
Priority Applications (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FI20205878A FI20205878A1 (en) | 2020-09-10 | 2020-09-10 | A system and a method for managing dental instruments |
| EP21866149.4A EP4214719A1 (en) | 2020-09-10 | 2021-09-08 | A system and a method for managing dental instruments |
| PCT/FI2021/050600 WO2022053743A1 (en) | 2020-09-10 | 2021-09-08 | A system and a method for managing dental instruments |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FI20205878A FI20205878A1 (en) | 2020-09-10 | 2020-09-10 | A system and a method for managing dental instruments |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| FI20205878A FI20205878A (en) | 2022-03-11 |
| FI20205878A1 true FI20205878A1 (en) | 2022-03-11 |
Family
ID=80631385
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| FI20205878A FI20205878A1 (en) | 2020-09-10 | 2020-09-10 | A system and a method for managing dental instruments |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP4214719A1 (en) |
| FI (1) | FI20205878A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2022053743A1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FI125580B (en) * | 2004-04-02 | 2015-12-15 | Planmeca Oy | Information system and method for quality assurance in dental care |
| US7492261B2 (en) * | 2004-11-22 | 2009-02-17 | Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc. | Control system for an RFID-based system for assembling and verifying outbound surgical equipment corresponding to a particular surgery |
| US7268684B2 (en) * | 2004-12-08 | 2007-09-11 | Sdgi Holdings, Inc. | Workstation RFID reader for surgical instruments and surgical instrument trays and methods of using same |
| WO2008061313A1 (en) * | 2006-11-24 | 2008-05-29 | Mems-Id Pty Ltd | Tagging methods and apparatus |
| US9305218B2 (en) * | 2012-06-14 | 2016-04-05 | Prezio Health | Methods and systems for identifying, marking, and inventorying large quantities of unique surgical instruments |
| CA3093300A1 (en) * | 2018-03-08 | 2019-09-12 | Duke University | Electronic identification tagging systems, methods, applicators, and tapes for tracking and managing medical equipment and other objects |
| JP7266370B2 (en) * | 2018-06-27 | 2023-04-28 | Ｄｇｓｈａｐｅ株式会社 | Surgical set and instrument management system |
-
2020
- 2020-09-10 FI FI20205878A patent/FI20205878A1/en unknown
-
2021
- 2021-09-08 WO PCT/FI2021/050600 patent/WO2022053743A1/en unknown
- 2021-09-08 EP EP21866149.4A patent/EP4214719A1/en active Pending
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP4214719A1 (en) | 2023-07-26 |
| WO2022053743A1 (en) | 2022-03-17 |
| FI20205878A (en) | 2022-03-11 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US20180247711A1 (en) | System and method for managing the use of surgical instruments | |
| CN101803953B (en) | System and method for identifying and controlling ophthalmic surgical devices and components | |
| US20160212577A1 (en) | System and method for tracking and monitoring surgical tools | |
| US20070239289A1 (en) | System and software for processing containers having tools with associated transmitters | |
| JP4873384B2 (en) | Medical practice management method, management server and medical practice management system using the same | |
| US9510740B2 (en) | Auto recognition of a shaver blade for medical use | |
| US20200005936A1 (en) | Surgical instrument set and instrument management system | |
| US20200395118A1 (en) | Electronic identification tagging systems, methods, applicators, and tapes for tracking and managing medical equipment and other objects | |
| US20180353256A1 (en) | System And Method For Recording Events That Occur During A Medical Procedure, Including Events Associated With The Inventorying Of Articles Used During The Procedure | |
| JP2010282250A (en) | System for managing surgical instrument, and label used therefor | |
| CA3045356A1 (en) | Sterilization system with integrated instrument recall capabilities and related methods | |
| WO1995027252A1 (en) | Surgical instrument inventory database management system | |
| JP7397576B2 (en) | Workflow management system, information processing device, management method and program related to sterilization | |
| FI20205878A1 (en) | A system and a method for managing dental instruments | |
| JP6250534B2 (en) | Surgical instrument system tracking management system and method | |
| JP2021108027A (en) | Management system of medical device set | |
| JP2005237586A (en) | Management method and management system of surgical tool | |
| JP2005081072A (en) | Sterilization control system in hospital | |
| US11335459B2 (en) | Surgical instrument set and instrument management system | |
| JP2021108028A (en) | Management system of medical device set | |
| US20190274782A1 (en) | Medical instrument, medical instrument management system, and method for producing the medical instrument | |
| Ciarapica et al. | Business process re-engineering of surgical instruments sterilization process: A case study | |
| US20240169171A1 (en) | Tool control program system and method of tool control | |
| CN112259205B (en) | Information system for medical care management | |
| Marins et al. | Intelligent information system to tracking patients in intensive care units |